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September 17, 2008

G152: Rays 10, Red Sox 3

The Rays took batting practice against Wakefield, who lasted only 51 pitches, and dropped the Red Sox to 2 GB. Tampa Bay now holds the divisional tiebreaker (having won 10 of the 18 games played between the two teams), so Boston needs to make up three games in the standings to win the AL East.

The night started off with a bang, as Jacoby Ellsbury singled to left and David Ortiz cranked a one-out, two-run dong to right-center.

But the fun was short-lived. In the home half of the first, Akinora Iwamura singled and stole second, Jason Bartlett singled and stole second, Carlos Pena hit a sacrifice fly and Willy Aybar knocked a two-run homer -- and Tampa led 3-2.

In the second, the Rays' #8 and #9 batters -- Gabe Gross and Fernando Perez -- cranked back-to-back home runs. And when Evan Longoria doubled with one out in the third, Terry Francona had seen enough. Tito ended up using four pitchers in that inning: Wakefield, Devern Hansack, Javier Lopez and David Aardsma. Boston used a total of eight pitchers tonight.

Ortiz led off the fourth by launching a moon shot to right-center; it looked like it hit maybe one-third of the way up the big video scoreboard! But that was it for the Red Sox's offense. They got a couple of guys on with two outs in the fifth, but Tiz flew to center, and they wasted Kevin Youkilis's leadoff double in the sixth.

Both the Twins and White Sox lost. Cleveland beat Minnesota 6-4 and the Yankees beat Chicago 5-1. Boston remains 7 GA in the wild card -- with 10 games to play.

Remember: We are going to the playoffs this year -- most likely meeting up with the Angels -- while the Yankees are fighting tooth and nail to not finish in fourth place.

The schedule will tell you that the Red Sox will leave Tampa tonight with 10 games remaining on their schedule, so anything can still happen. The reality is that the Red Sox had better win tonight if they want to repeat as champions of the American League East.

282 comments:

So... What does happen when the bases are loaded and there's a deep fly ball to center that hits the warning track and bounces out of the field of play? Should be a ground-rule double, right? Should score two runs rather than one, right?

If the home team scores the winning run in its half of the ninth inning (or its half of an extra inning after a tie), the game ends immediately when the winning run is scored. EXCEPTION: If the last batter in a game hits a home run out of the playing field, the batter-runner and all runners on base are permitted to score, in accordance with the base-running rules, and the game ends when the batter-runner touches home plate.

Since it says the game ends "immediately when the winning run is scored" with a homer being the only exception, I'd interpret the rule that only 1 run scores on a walk-off ground-rule double.

The logic, however, doesn't seem right. If a ground-rule double is an "automatic double", that should apply to a walk-off hit, and therefore the runner at second should score and the batter should run to second base.

ish--that's funny, I sent an email to sock about the ground rule double last night. My possible scenarios included a bases loaded, tie game situation where the batter goes all the way to third before the lead runner scores (all three runners standing in a row between third and home, not passing each other.)So you could milk anything up to a triple on a play like that-BUT, if the ball bounces over the wall, the only thing different is that the batter would have to stop at second (if he gets there before the winning run scores, for whatever reason.)

i have heard different opinions on fans--Remy acted like Rays fans were in full force last night. Some radio guy acted like it was all Sox fans. He did point out that a playoff series down there would bring even MORE Red Sox fans than usual. I think that would be fun.

no, we won't chat with Tom Caron, we all developed places to chat about the Red Sox years ago, while you all made fun of us and used the "parents' basement" term. Now they want in our basements.... fuckin media.

i still say never take Wake out. Why is 7 innings of bullpen better? Wake can get it back as quickly as he can lose it. And even when he's lost it, the batters are still getting fucked up by swinging at pitches that could be going anywhere. Who do you think the next batter would rather face? A knucleballer, or any average, regular pitch throwing guy? And Wake never tires. I know on some days he REEEALLY has completely lost it. But I say all these bullpen innings are never worth it when you could just go Wake the whole time

In 2005 our number 1 starter was second half Matt Clement... And the 2005 version was an overachieving team built on offense while this one is an underachieving one that's very well balanced. I don't see the comparison at all.

and I'm saying in a must-win game, the best move is not to trot out every guy in the bullpen over 7 innings, but go with a guy who could easily start pitching well again. Fine, if he gets tired after 6-7-or 8, pitch him until then.

One thing I hope for, if the Red Sox lose this game, is to focus on the Angels from here on out. Set up the pitching staff, get guys healthy and get them some rest, and prepare solely for the LA Angels so you can go in prepared just like they will.